Primary Components of an Endoscope

Primary Components of an Endoscope

Endoscopes play a vital role in investigating, and diagnosing, the cause of many physical problems in patients.

Using an endoscope, doctors may check the digestive system, identify obstructions, and cauterize wounds or perform biopsies. These are complicated systems, designed to play an essential role in medical care – but how are they put together?

By looking at the main components of an endoscope, we can develop an understanding of how they function and operate.

What are the Integral Components of an Endoscope?

Endoscopes feature multiple primary components, though, depending on the tasks they are designed to perform, the specifics may vary.

A standard endoscope is made up of:

A flexible or rigid tube

A lens to transmit the image of the patient’s internal system to the operator or viewer (this is generally a relay lens in rigid endoscopes, or multiple fiber-optics for fiberscopes)

A system to transmit light to enhance the visibility of the area being examined (the source of this light is usually based outside of the body, directed through optical fibers)

An extra channel to accommodate manipulators of medical instruments for surgical procedures

An eyepiece (in videoscopes lacking eyepieces, images from inside the patient are sent to a screen for viewing and capture)

How is a Flexible Endoscope Pieced Together?

Flexible endoscopes feature such external components as:

a light guide plug, which connects to the source of illumination: for videoscopes, this will typically be heavier than for other types

an umbilical cable (or universal cord), which links the light guide plug to the scope’s control head

the control head itself, which carries the angulation-control handles to allow the operator to manage the scope’s performance, as well as any suction or water functions

the insertion tube is placed inside the patient’s body, and, unsurprisingly, becomes massively contaminated throughout the procedure – the distal end is used to house videoscopes microchips, as well as openings for the air or water functions, as well as for the suction

the bending section is adjacent to the distal end

Endoscopes continue to evolve, becoming more streamlined and technologically advanced: for example, patients can now swallow microcameras which capture images of their internal system before making their way out of the body. The primary components are likely to remain the same, and any changes will typically be made to enhance performance and the patients’ comfort.

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